Archive for the ‘Peripherals’ Category

We’ve just got word from Microsoft that Guitar Hero: Metallica will be the first game (that isn’t Lips) to support Lips wireless microphones. Additionally, we’ve tested the Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band USB microphones with SingStar on the PS3, and found that they don’t work.

I was well and truly stuck about a third of the way through the A Class races in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. When you’re starting in last place and playing catch up with an equally powerful car, making just one mistake means you’re toast - especially on a speedway-style circuit. I’d all but given up on the thought of beating the game until Logitech told me they were sending over a Driving Force GT.

It probably won’t come as a shock when I tell you that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue comes alive when it’s played with a force-feedback wheel. The jump between a Sixaxis and the Driving Force GT is of a similar magnitude to the jump between the 8-way digital joysticks of the 16-bit era and the dual-analogs of recent years. You can feel the car lose traction, and intuitively wrestle the back end into submission.

GelaSkin, famous for making protector cases for iPods, phones and laptops featuring unique artwork from a wide range of artists, are now making cases for the DS and PSP. PSP GelaSkins include matching wallpaper for a seamless look. More designs after the jump.

Nintendo is set to reissue the GameCube controller in Japan this month. This time around, it features a 3-meter cord, will only be available in Wii-style white, and will cost 2,000 yen (approximately US$20).

If only Sony treated PlayStation owners so nicely with the DualShock 3.

Harmonix has announced the long-awaited individual Rock Band peripherals will start shipping in February, starting with the release of the US$80 drum controller on February 12. The wireless guitar will cost US$60 and will be released later on April 1.

It has me stumped why Harmonix didn’t prioritize the release of the PlayStation 3 wireless guitar above all else - four months is a long time to wait for a bass player.

Gaming hardware company Tomarni have developed what promises to be the ultimate gaming peripheral - a performance pill targeted at FPS gamers. According to its product website, the pill “accelerates neural processes and heightens perception and capacity of reaction and concentration”.

Being a German invention I was prepared for some crazy feat of pharmaceutical engineering, but alas, all that was listed on the ingredients page were a bunch of amino acids and vitamins, most of which are available in a healthy diet or in a sports supplement shop.

It would be a welcome addition to your existing high-performance FPS diet of caffeinated beverages and more caffeinated beverages, but at EUR 19.90, (approximately US$30) most people may consider alternative options. However this isn’t going to stop me from pestering my editor in obtaining a small quantity for a hands-on review.

If Guitar Hero fuels the fantasy of being a guitar god, then Guitar Wizard will provide the tools to actually make that happen, on a real guitar. It’s the next logical step for novices who have never picked up a six-string before Guitar Hero, or those who have found traditional teaching methods unengaging and inefficient.

Guitar Wizard teaches you through method alone, making no reference to music theory - with each string designated a shape and each fret color coded. As songs play, the shapes and colors move across the screen in a manner akin to Guitar Hero. The resulting drawback is that instead of referring to E, B and G strings, you’ll forever know them as diamond, heart and square strings.

The set up isn’t too badly priced either. During a hands on interview at CES, Guitar Wizard’s makers have quoted a full package cost of US$300, and that includes a Washburn guitar, MIDI pickup and software. If you’ve got your own guitar, you’ll only need to purchase a MIDI pickup and software for US$150.

Yet another price drop has arrived for the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. Previously US$130, you can now pick one up for a reasonable US$99 along with a demo of Forza Motorsport 2. With the imminent release of Burnout Paradise you would be crazy not take them up on the offer.

If you have Rock Band but don’t feel like you are getting the full rock star experience, then maybe you need to check out the Rock Band Stage Kit by Performance Design Products. According to the box the kit housed within is an “interactive light and smoke stage show”. I’m pretty sure no one will disagree with me when I say that no good can come from this. For US$99 you can pre-order the kit right now from Gamestop or wait until it is released on June 26.